Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Valli refuses to look out of the window on her way back because she is deeply affected by the sight of a dead cow lying by the roadside. She recognizes it as the same lovable, beautiful creature that had run in front of the bus earlier, but now it looks horrible and frightening with its lifeless eyes and blood all over.
The memory of the dead cow haunts her, completely dampening her enthusiasm. The tragic incident makes her so sad that she loses the excitement she previously had for the wonderful sights outside, leading her to no longer want to look out the window.
Explanation
The textbook explicitly states that the memory of the dead cow 'haunted her, dampening her enthusiasm.' This shows that the harsh reality of death overshadowed her childhood excitement for the bus journey, directly causing her change in behavior on the return trip.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the incident on the return journey that affected Valli (seeing the young cow dead by the roadside).
Step 2: Note the emotional impact on Valli (overcome with sadness, haunted by the memory, dampened enthusiasm).
Step 3: Conclude that this sadness and loss of enthusiasm caused her to refuse looking out the window.